Location: Old Jaffa, Israel
Client: Oz Investments L.T.D
Design Phase :1991-2004

Jaffa, one of the most ancient cities in the world, whose remains can be traced back to the second century B.C., has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The hill of ancient Jaffa at the center of the city is surrounded by the remains of its ancient wall destroyed by napoleon, and the natural port that used to be the gate to the Land of Israel. Jaffa was known for its oranges which earned international reputation .

The development compound as a whole is located along the ditch at the seam between the old and new city. The construction outside the old city walls began in the middle of the 19th century, under the Ottoman rule, when in a surge of urban development markets, administrative buildings, monasteries and transportation routes were constructed .

At the northern part of the compound, next to the clock square, we find the “Gate House” complex, with the ruins of the guard tower at the top. That house constitutes the main entrance to the old city of Jaffa .

The “Gate House” complex, like the houses on Hatsorfim street, is characterized by a “Casba” fabric, having buildings with vaulted ceilings .

As opposed to other places, where ancient cities have been converted into static museums or sterile pilgrimage sites for tourists only, here an attempt was made to generate activity throughout the day by allowing residential and commercial uses. The idea was to create a dynamic urban area, where the existing historic fabric is respected and preserved while newly built parts are added, complementing the reconstructed parts.